Agroforestry reduces reliance on fertilizers

By Correspondent

Agroforesty can quickly and cheaply reduce food and water insecurity, says the Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre (Icraf) Dennis Garrity.

He says agroforestry, including rotational fallows, intercropping and biomass transfers improve soil quality leading to higher crop yields.

A study by Icraf scientists on fertiliser trees that capture nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil found that agroforesty reduces the need for commercial nitrogen fertilisers by up to 75 per cent while doubling or tripling crop yields.

"Kenya is facing enormous food security crisis. The harsh situation provides an opportunity to rethink our agricultural practices," he says.

He says the Government must invest in agriculture since three-quarters of Kenyans rely on it for food and income. "Kenya and Africa at large have the potential to become exporters of maize, beans and basic food crops to the world," he says.

Conservation of forests and other natural resources will feature highly at the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry in Nairobi from August 23-28.

Icraf is cooperating with national agricultural research systems in Southern and Eastern Africa to develop agroforestry.

Farmers access

"Research and development have been going on for many years but there has been very little access by farmers," says Garrity.

The practice of growing trees on farms is one component of agroforestry with many benefits like replenishing depleted soil fertility.

According to Garrity trees like faidherbia, gliridcida and sebsania, when planted with crops suppress weeds while increasing organic matter in the soil.

Agroforestry, he explained, is not based on single specie and appropriate trees must be adapted for different geographical locations. The practice improves the soil structure so that it holds more water.